For almost 20 years, my dad was a district manager for an evil big oil company and his district included NO. He said that graft and bribes were automatically factored in to any business transaction because that was the only way anything was done. They weren't talking small potatoes and the corruption went from top to bottom.
I know a man who does a huge business all over the world and it is a unique business. He said doing business in Baltimore City was the most corrupt he had ever experienced and his Grandfather said it was worse than Chicago in its heyday. He said there was an enormous bribe graft factor.